Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2025

Crystallization of Proteins on Chip by Microdialysis for In Situ X-ray Diffraction Studies
Published on: April 11, 2021
Chiral and Structural Polymorphism of Fibril Architectures of Homologous Lysozymes
Natalia Hachlica1, Michal Rawski2, Marcin Górecki3
1Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387, Krakow, Poland.
Abstract:
Amyloid fibrils are fascinating and complex structures with the multilayered chiral organization. Using the multimodal methodology, including VCD, ECD, cryo-EM, and TEM, we characterized in detail different levels of organization (secondary structure/protofilament/mesoscopic structure) of amyloid fibrils prepared from proteins highly homologous in the structure (hen egg white and human lysozymes). Our results demonstrate that small changes in the native protein structure or preparation conditions translate into significant differences in the handedness and architecture of the formed fibrils at various levels of their complexity. In particular, fibrils of hen egg white and human lysozymes obtained in vitro at the same preparation conditions, possess different secondary structure, protofilament twist and ultrastructure. Yet, formed fibrils adopted a relatively similar mesoscopic structure, as observed in high-resolution 3D cryo-EM, scarcely used up to now for fibrils obtained in vitro in denaturing condition. Our results add to other puzzling experiments implicating the indeterministic nature of fibril formation.
More Related Videos
08:49Incorporating Target Protein Structure Flexibility and Dynamics in Computational Drug Discovery Using Ensemble-Based Docking Analysis
Published on: June 20, 2025
08:56Synthesis of 1,2-Azaborines and the Preparation of Their Protein Complexes with T4 Lysozyme Mutants
Published on: March 25, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Chirality in Nature
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Protein and Protein Structure
A protein's shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme...
Prochirality
Globular and Fibrous Proteins
Globular proteins are also known as spheroproteins and typically are approximately round in shape. They contain a mix of amino acid types and contain differing sequences in their primary structures. Globular proteins have many different functions, such as enzymes, cellular messengers, and molecular transporters. These roles often require the proteins to be...
Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers